In addition to allowing a physician to view the interior of a patient, endoscopes are used to deliver a variety of therapies to patients. For example, endoscopes may be used to deliver surgical tools to a selected treatment site. The surgical tools can be used to, for example, ablate or resect tissue at the treatment site. In some cases, vacuum pressure may be used to “grasp” or stabilize selected tissue for treatment. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,689,051 to Nakada et al. describes an endoscope hood, into which a high frequency snare is inserted for resection of mucous membrane drawn into the hood by application of vacuum pressure.
Endoscopes may also be used to deliver a fluid or solid material to a treatment site. Again, vacuum pressure may be used to “grasp” or stabilize the tissue that has been selected for receipt of the material. For example, endoscopes may be used to deliver pharmaceuticals to a treatment site. As other examples, endoscopes may be used for delivery of sutures or ligating bands, as described in U.S. Published Application No. 2004/0158125 by Aznoian et al., or an active medical, as described in U.S. Published Application No. 2004/0088023 by Imran et al.
Further, endoscopes may be used to implant bulking devices within a luminal wall within a patient to alter the function of the luminal wall. For example, endoscopes may be used to implant bulking devices proximate to the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) of a patient to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). When implanted proximate to the LES, the bulking devices treat GERD by cooperating with the LES to increase the closing pressure of the LES, thereby reducing the likelihood of reflux flow of fluid from the stomach into the esophagus. As other examples, endoscopes may be used to implant bulking devices near the pyloric sphincter or within the fundus of the stomach to treat obesity, or proximate to a urethral or anal sphincter to treat incontinence.
U.S. Published Application No. 2004/0037865 to Miller describes endoscopic delivery of a bio-compatible bulking or stiffening material into the pyloric sphincter area of the stomach. As another example, U.S. Published Application No. 2003/0188755 to Milbocker describes endoscopic delivery of an implantable polymer to the LES. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 6,338,345 to Johnson et al. ('345 patent) describes a system for endoscopically delivering a bulking device to submucosal tissue within a body lumen that includes an endoscope and one of an overtube or a cap-like device that receives the endoscope. A distal end of the overtube or the cap-like device as described in the '345 patent includes a cavity that receives the tissue into which the bulking device will be implanted when vacuum pressure is applied to the cavity via an endoscope.
Table 1 below lists documents that disclose endoscopic delivery systems.
TABLE 1Patent NumberInventorsTitle2004/0158125Aznoian et al.Integrated endoscope andaccessory treatment device2004/0138682Onuki et al.Endoscopic suture apparatus2004/0102804ChinApparatus and methods for endo-scopic surgical procedures2004/0088023Imran et al.Gastric treatment and diagnosisdevice and method2004/0037865MillerObesity controlling method2004/0034369Sauer et al.System for endoscopic suturing2004/0034278AdamsEndoscopic resection devices andrelated methods of use2004/0019388StarkebaumMethods and implants forretarding stomach emptyingto treat eating disorders2004/0009224MillerObesity controlling method2003/0208209Gambale et al.Endoscopic tissue appositiondevice with multiple suctionports2003/0187464TolkoffDistal end for ligating banddispenser2003/0171760GambaleTissue capturing and suturingdevice and method2002/0072757MunirLigating band delivery apparatus2002/0035311OuchiTip portion of an endoscope6,689,051Nakada et al.Endoscope hood for mucousmembrane resection6,595,909SilvermanMethod for treating tissue withet al.an implant6,591,838DurginImplant system and method forbulking tissue6,338,345Johnson et al.Submucosal prosthesis deliverydeviceRE36,629Zaslavsky,Multiple ligating band dispenseret al.5,8534164TolkoffDistal end for ligating banddispenserWO2004021873Gambale et al.Integrated endoscope andaccessory treatment deviceWO2004021865Zirps et al.Endoscopic band ligator
All documents listed in Table 1 above are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their respective entireties. As those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate readily upon reading the Summary of the Invention, Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments and Claims set forth below, at least some of the devices and methods disclosed in the patents of Table 1 may be modified advantageously by following the teachings of the present invention.